Pen was puzzled.
The room was completely empty. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
As soon as the quiet girl had stepped forward and picked the small, silver lock in record time - Pen would have to watch that one - she had surged ahead with the others, eager to see what valuable items lay beyond it. However, the walls were a blank, unappealing white and there were no windows nor furniture to soften its edges. It seemed to have no visible purpose, other than disappointing the viewers who had been tempted to open the door. She ran a hand through her blonde ponytail, frowning.
"T-there's nothing there" she blurted out.
She strode around the perimeter of the room - thoroughly confused by this peculiar mystery - but the room, itself, remained unreadable. She traced her fingers across one of the wall, which was smooth and smelled of fresh paint and chemicals. She inhaled, taking a deep breath, but she still couldn't distinguish what the weird chemical stench was. Nothing she recognised from her chemistry class. How odd.
Irritated at this infuriating enigma, she shoved her hands on her pockets and marched out the room.
"Probably just some storage lab for the fossils, that they took out to show us. You know how enthusiastic those lab-rats are," she muttered, back in the corridor, kicking the wall with her shoe. She could feel the early buzz of a headache shooting through her forehead and she rubbed her palm across it, drained of the enthusiasm she had felt pulsing through her body earlier.
"I say we had back downstairs - there's hardly going to be anything interesting up here" Pen said, turning her blue-eyed gaze back to the others in her group, shrugging, "Who's with me?"
Dr Goode nodded, pleased, as Pilot recited the correct answer in a low monotone. Perfect, simply perfect. He watched, only half paying attention, as some other scientists - including Wesley - bustled around the subject, following the usual routine; drink, attaching monitors, drawing samples...
Goode observed silently. This was always the favourite part of his dull month.
When they had finished, Pilot stood, waiting, just as he had been trained to.
Goode rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. Was he ready? Everyone else seemed to think so. And Dr Goode, himself, didn't think he could wait any longer. If it was unsuccessful, he could just create another, he supposed.
"We're going to try something different, this time," he finally said, choosing his words carefully, "Follow me."
Dr Goode strode out the room, not looking back but expecting Pilot to follow anyway. His lab coat billowed out behind him, as he marched down the dimly lit hallway. This end of the building was less populated by figures clad in white, and the windows and lights grew fewer and fewer as they progressed through. Eventually, Dr Goode halted outside a closed door towards the end of the corridor, which had only the words 'Test #100' proclaimed upon it. It certainly didn't look much.
"Now this is a little different from your usual exercises, Pilot," Dr Goode said, grinning, "But we think you're ready. Do not disappoint me."
He reached forward and, retrieving a silver key from the depths of his lab coat, he thrust it into the lock, turning it so a click sounded. He pushed it open barely a centimetre but through that tiny gap,it became apparent what lay behind it. A feral snarling sounded, coupled with an awful dog smell. Peering closer, a dark grey wolf was visible, prowling the far shadowed end of the small room, clearly agitated and filthy, from days of a lack of water and food. It turned its narrowing eyes to the sound of the opening door and stalked closer.
"In you go, then" Dr Goode instructed.